Newtown Softball Rallies to Win Against West Haven

Both a perfect softball season and hope for a state championship appeared close to melting away for the Nighthawks under a sweltering sun at Newtown High School on Friday.

No. 8 seed West Haven was leading No. 1 seed Newtown and the fifth inning had opened with consecutive singles against standout pitcher Katie Bowen. The Nighthawks were trailing for only the second time this year though this time, the margin for error was paper-thin.

"We were on the ropes right there," Newtown coach Bob Guerrera said. "If they scored again, it would've only dug a deeper hole for us to come back from."

West Haven's Elaina Maio stepped into the batter's box and with all the strength Bowen could muster, she delivered a sharp fastball to Maio. The pitch was lined right back to the pitcher's circle and in a split-second, Bowen raised her glove and caught the ball. Immediately, she turned and fired a strike to second base to double off the runner.

"For them it was a crusher because they would've padded their lead," Guerrera said. "But that gave us a bit of a momentum boost."

Bowen retired the next batter to get out of the inning unscathed and along with her teammates, she confidently trotted off the field.

It proved to be just the lift they needed.

The Nighthawks plated eight runs on ten hits over the next two innings as they advanced to the Class LL semifinals with an 8-2 win over West Haven.

Newtown (25-0) will face the winner of Saturday's matchup between No. 4 seed Trumbull (18-3) and No. 5 seed Simsbury (18-3).

"Coming from behind like that against a good team was something that I don't think we'll forget and I think it will make us stronger in the future," Guerrera said.

West Haven pitcher Camdyn Morgillo quieted Newtown's talent-laden lineup over the first four innings, as she allowed only two hits and turned two double-plays. She nearly avoided trouble in the fifth, but shortstop Natalie Dunn lined a two-out single to left field to score Jess Gibbons.

"That was the turning point of the game offensively for us because we broke through with that," Guerrera said. "If we don't score that first one, the whole complexion of the game would've changed."

Second baseman Ally Modzelewski then dropped down a bunt and the throw to first sailed into right field, allowing Dunn to race home with the tying run.

The game was suddenly slipping away for West Haven (18-5) and Newtown continued to capitalize as left fielder Monica Macchiarulo put Newtown in front for good, 3-2, with an RBI single.

"The ability to come back and score runs has been a basic staple for us for the whole season. Not necessarily coming back, but getting runs," Guerrera said. "We score runs in bunches."

Newtown did just that in the sixth inning, as it scored four runs on six straight hits. After Coleen Cunningham singled with one out, Dunn delivered an RBI double to extend the lead to 5-2. Later in the inning, Macchiarulo, Ashley Kuligowski and Bowen followed one another with run-scoring doubles to open the floodgates and dampen West Haven's upset hopes.

Dunn went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the win, while Macchiarulo and Bowen also drove in a pair of runs.

Bowen pitched a scoreless seventh to preserve the win, improving her record to 21-0. She allowed a season-high ten hits and walked one.

"I don't think Katie was at best today. With that being said, she battled all the way like Katie always does. She had some great defensive plays and she hung in there," Guerrera said. "That's all I can ask of somebody is just to hang in there."

West Haven scored both its runs in the third inning, as Joanna Fekieta followed Jocelynne Morrell's RBI double with a run-scoring single.